NO STUPID QUESTIONS: A thread for those less experienced

[GoatLockerGuns]

On 4/6/2022 at 9:14 PM, Little Tex said:

where I live there are a lot of Sabal Maxicana, Palmetto, CIDP, Filifera, Robusta, Butia just in highway medians, I dont know who did that, but It got me curious

They are probably volunteers from ornamentals planted in the area, and carried by birds (i.e., droppings) if I were to guess.  We have a lot of that on the highways around San Antonio as well.  Usually "hap-hazard" growth patterns, so probably not planned plantings by the city or county.  Although, they could be "gorilla" seed plantings by some aficionado...you never know.  According to Bob Harms of the University of Texas (who I believe passed away in 2016), a guy named Doug Goldman (which may or may not be the same Doug Goldman of Sabal x brazoriensis fame, see attached paper) relayed to Bob that he had thrown Sabal mexicana seeds all over the place in Austin during the 1990s.  Quote: "I threw seeds all over the place, along lots of creeks in "older" parts of Austin....There was a foot bridge over a tributary of Waller Creek I would cross between my apartment & campus, part of the seminary property, and last week I remembered how I would stand on that bridge in perhaps 1998 or 1999 and throw palm seeds into the shrubs to either side, both upstream and downstream."  Bob conducted a survey of Sabal mexicana palms growing along Waller Creek in Austin in 2003, and believed some of the specimens he found corresponded in approximate age to the time frame that Doug was allegedly "seeding the city" (see these online articles:  http://w3.biosci.utexas.edu/prc/DigFlora/00WallerPalmCensus.html...http://w3.biosci.utexas.edu/prc/DigFlora/Waller/NW_Waller.html).  He also alleged that there was a Washingtonia sp. that was planted (not sprouted from seed) near the 24th Street bridge.

17655-58893-1-PB.pdf

[Xenon]

Volunteer Washingtonia (and Sabal to a more localized extent) do pop up everywhere in Houston freeway medians but the main mass planting with Washingtonia, Butia, and formerly Livistona decora (rip) along Interstate 45 heading south of downtown was installed by TxDOT around 2000. 

[ruskinPalms]

My  Bismarckia is flowering for the first time. Is it male or female or too soon to tell? Should I cut them off so weevils aren’t attracted to it?

 

[Palmarum]

12 minutes ago, ruskinPalms said:

My  Bismarckia is flowering for the first time. Is it male or female or too soon to tell? Should I cut them off so weevils aren’t attracted to it? ...

The rachillae look thin, so I would guess it is a male, like my tree.

I would leave the inflorescences intact and avoid any cut marks. A fresh cut on rich material like the inflorescences might attract more pests. After they flower, they hang out with the lower leaves until they turn brown and fall off. I just picked one up from my tree this morning.

And congrats on the first-flowering, it is fun on any palm. I bet you were surprised. Anyone in the neighborhood with a female tree will start soon wondering why there is now a pile of seed covering their grass.

Ryan

[Little Tex]

1 hour ago, Xenon said:

Volunteer Washingtonia (and Sabal to a more localized extent) do pop up everywhere in Houston freeway medians but the main mass planting with Washingtonia, Butia, and formerly Livistona decora (rip) along Interstate 45 heading south of downtown was installed by TxDOT around 2000. 

do you have a google maps location?

[Xenon]

1 minute ago, Little Tex said:

do you have a google maps location?

For what? The palms line the road from 59/45 interchange near downtown all the way south to League City with maximum density at the interchange with BW8. 

The Washingtonia volunteer everywhere else. Lots of Sabal and some Washingtonia near SH 99 and I-10 in the Katy Area. 

[Little Tex]

3 minutes ago, Xenon said:

For what? The palms line the road from 59/45 interchange near downtown all the way south to League City with maximum density at the interchange with BW8. 

The Washingtonia volunteer everywhere else. Lots of Sabal and some Washingtonia near SH 99 and I-10 in the Katy Area. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.6051003,-95.2037041,3a,75y,301.44h,81.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sa6gwyy397FGDRy1YCVbDKQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Found it!, I cant believe they all survived!

[ruskinPalms]

4 hours ago, Palmarum said:

The rachillae look thin, so I would guess it is a male, like my tree.

I would leave the inflorescences intact and avoid any cut marks. A fresh cut on rich material like the inflorescences might attract more pests. After they flower, they hang out with the lower leaves until they turn brown and fall off. I just picked one up from my tree this morning.

And congrats on the first-flowering, it is fun on any palm. I bet you were surprised. Anyone in the neighborhood with a female tree will start soon wondering why there is now a pile of seed covering their grass.

Ryan

I’m happy it is male. I’m ok to not have any more seeds to deal with than I already have from my other palms lol. I do have another that is not trunking or flowering yet that may still be female though…

Edited April 8, 2022 by ruskinPalms

[ruskinPalms]

On 4/8/2022 at 1:40 PM, ruskinPalms said:

My  Bismarckia is flowering for the first time. Is it male or female or too soon to tell? Should I cut them off so weevils aren’t attracted to it?

 

Updated pic of the flowers

[ruskinPalms]

A closeup. Still think it is male?

 

[Jimhardy]

Seems like a lot of questions have gone unanswered so I just wanted to address a few.

leaf bases, liquid,male, no one knows & water- also, " left bone dry for 3 weeks in the August heatwave/drought?"

the last one was self answering.  

[JohnAndSancho]

Bump 

 

I've been eating a lot of frozen salmon lately. Is there any benefit to giving the water from the vacuum seal bags to my palms? Obviously we're not talking much water at all. I live alone, so I might get 2oz (if that) of salmon water. 

[spike]

44 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Bump 

 

I've been eating a lot of frozen salmon lately. Is there any benefit to giving the water from the vacuum seal bags to my palms? Obviously we're not talking much water at all. I live alone, so I might get 2oz (if that) of salmon water. 

Might need to consider the amount of salt in the fish, I'm not sure about salmon

Edited June 14, 2022 by spike

[Kim]

On 6/13/2022 at 4:28 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

Bump 

 

I've been eating a lot of frozen salmon lately. Is there any benefit to giving the water from the vacuum seal bags to my palms? Obviously we're not talking much water at all. I live alone, so I might get 2oz (if that) of salmon water. 

Try it, report back! I wouldn't use it on tiny seedlings, but otherwise.. sure.

[Cinnabon]

Hi guys,

Had this palm for a couple of weeks now, its summer here, hot every day, intense sun. Gets watered daily, was planning to leave in grow bag until winter and then re pot. Any thoughts on the burnt tipped yellowing leaves? is this normal?